I currently have a linked table in my database using a DSN, it works fine. The connection string for this table is: "ODBC;DSN=orcl1;UID=user;PWD=password;" I thought it would be a good idea to make this a DSNless connection to make installation easier when the app is distributed to clients. So, after looking through EE and at every website under the sun I came up with this:

The function executes fine (without going to the error handler) it prints out the correct information from the table. Also, the linked table that I have currently in the database using DSN shows the correct data, I can edit data through it as well.

I do have TNSNames on my client machine with in the proper location with the following code in it:

So "orcl" is a valid alias to connect to... Ultimately it would even be nice to have a connection string that did not rely on TNSNames.ora, I hear you can embed the TNS information directly into the connection string (I tried this and got the same error). I do not have the Oracle ODBC Driver on my machine and I'd rather use Microsoft's unless someone here has had bad luck with Microsoft's.

Thanks in advance for the help, I'll be here banging my head against my monitor until I hear back...

>>easier when the app is distributed to clients
>>I'd rather use Microsoft's unless someone here

You still need an Oracle client installed. The MSoft drivers really sit on top of the Oracle client/native drivers. Microsoft is even desupporting Oracle drivers moving forward (at least in the .Net world).

The Instant Client would probably work for you.

>>I hear you can embed the TNS information directly into the connection string

I do have Oracle installed, but for some reason just don't have the ODBC Driver installed... Seems as though since the Microsoft driver is working for both the linked table with DSN and the ADO connection, then it should work in a DNSless connection string...

Good point, I figured I'd still have to have oracle installed to talk to SQL*NET on the server, Just figured it'd be easier to not have to configure the TNSnames file and create a DSN, because I probably will not be performing the install, someone from tech support probably will. Thanks for the info though!

I'm having trouble installing the oracle driver on top of the SQL*plus that I already have installed, everytime I try to install it, it then knocks out my other connection (plus the oracle connection doesnt work) when I uninstall it the original connection then works again. I traced it down to changing the Environment variable "Path" to including the oracle home directory. I guess my first installation of oracle was done in a different location and maybe I should install the ODBC engine in that same location?

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